Never
by TJHECTOR
Summary: After a fit of rage, Raphael ran into the deepest heart of the woods. But he came out a different person—more monstrous, and dangerous. There was darkness in the woods that would seek to devour you, find your innermost fear, and destroy you from within. Set in the farmhouse, 2k12 season 3. Violence, coarse language, cruelty and disturbing contents. Not for kids.
1. The Old Man With A Rifle

**NEVER**

**by TJ HECTOR**

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><p><strong>-Warnings:<strong> This contains some very disturbing contents. It's going to be dark, violent, and despairing. If you don't like this kind of stuff, don't read it.

**-A/N:** This idea came to me when I was on a stroll in the 'jungle' in the campus. _Never go into the woods alone,_ I thought. This is an experimental idea, so I'm not sure whether I'll continue it. If some of you manage to survive it, I might write more chapters.

**-Summary:** After a fit of rage, Raphael ran into the deepest heart of the woods. But he came out a different person—more monstrous, and dangerous. There was darkness in the woods that would seek to devour you, find your innermost fear, and destroy you from within. Set in the farmhouse, 2k12 season 3. An experimental idea. Violence and coarse language in the future.

**-Disclaimer:** I own absolutely nothing.

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><p><strong>I. The Old Man with a Rifle<strong>

The sky was red with twilight. The grass glowed strangely under the setting sun.

But the mutants and humans didn't notice any of those.

On the open field, April O'Neil dodged a swiping leg, but was too late to duck Donatello's flying fist. As it was about to hit her face, Donnie slowed. April grabbed his wrist without hesitation and pulled him with all her might. With the help of Donnie's original onward force, she managed to throw him onto the ground.

"Ow!"

"You slowed down, Donnie," April looked down at the purple-masked turtle, smiling triumphantly, "I told you not to go easy on me!"

"Yeah," Donnie groaned and sat up. "You have improved a lot."

April helped him up and the two of them stood for a moment and watch the others spar. Mikey and Casey were supposed to fight each other, but with Mikey constantly leaping around like a frog, avoiding all the attack of Casey's hockey stick without breaking a sweat, the match hardly looked like a spar.

Leonardo was resting not far from them, supporting his weight on one of his katanas. His leg was hurting again, and he felt frustrated. However, when April walked toward him, he hid the expression quickly.

"I saw you beat Donnie," he said.

"He was…again," April sighed, "And that's without weapons."

"But that's impressive nonetheless," Leo smiled, "We've been practicing these skills all our lives. You've only just started learning them for…two years?"

"Thanks Leo," she smiled back.

Mikey and Casey stopped sparring. Casey was panting like a dog while Mikey was shiny as ever.

"I think this is enough for today," Leo said, "What do you guys think?"

"I'm so hungry," Mikey said, "I'm gonna prepare for dinner!"

"I'll help you in the kitchen, Mikey," April said.

"I have to icepack my head," Donnie muttered.

"Let's go inside then," Leo said, "It's getting late and cold."

"What about Raph?" Casey said suddenly. "It's been hours!"

"He'll be fine," Leo said. "He does that all the time."

"But it's the woods! I saw him run into the woods!" Mikey said. "Nothin' good happens in the woods."

"Don't be silly, Mikey," Donnie sighed, "The woods are clear now. And didn't you meet your frog friend in the woods?"

"Yeah! But it's still a creepy place. Especially after dark," Mikey said. "He might be eaten by a…bear or a big bad wolf! He's the Red Riding Hood! Uh, no hood, just mask."

"C'mon, he'll take care of himself," Leo said, heading toward the house. "He should learn to control his temper better. It's not an solution to run away from anything."

"Leo's right," Donnie said, "He'll come back after he cools down, Mikey. We don't need a furious bull in the house right now anyway."

"But if he's eaten—"

"He could crawl into his shell and we'll cut the wolf's stomach to save him, okay?" Leo said.

"That sounds good to me," Mikey said.

They were almost at the front porch when April spoke, and they noticed that she was still standing far behind them.

"Guys, I just remember _something_."

There was anxiety in April's voice that made the turtles and Casey stopped and turned around.

"What is it, April?" Leonardo asked.

April pursed her lips. "When I was little, my mom told me that I should never go too deep into the woods. She said there's a part of the woods that's unkind."

"_Unkind?_" Mikey jumped, "What do you mean, April? Like the trees have evil spirits?"

"I don't know! I forgot about it. And all these months we have been to the woods but it's mostly fine y'know. So I kind of forgot about the warning."

"Mostly fine, huh," Casey laughed sarcastically. "Y'forgot about the grassy big guy and the insane hunter and the frogs, Red?"

"No, the mutants were there because of the mutagen," April said, "But the Heart of the Woods has always been there."

"Heart of the Woods?" Mikey gasped in horror and grasped Donnie's arm, the latter glanced at him irritably and shoved him away. "_It has a name_?"

"Yeah, that's how my mom called it," April smiled with a frown. "It's not as scary as it sounds. I don't think half of the legends were true, actually."

"April, I don't think that's what Mikey meant," Donnie said wryly, "I think Mikey's just sad because someone named it ahead of him."

"April," Leo took a step toward her, "If you don't think it's true, why did you tell us?"

"Because it's been a while," April said, "And…it's getting dark. I'm getting a feeling that something's not right."

"Y'have a feeling?" Casey asked. "Like, a _feeling_?"

April nodded slightly and looked down at her hands.

"You think it has anything to do with the 'Heart of Woods'?" Leo asked.

"No, I don't really think so," April said thoughtfully. "But we better find Raph."

"All right," Leo sighed. "Guys, we spread out and search." He started to walk toward the woods.

"Alone?" Mikey squeaked, following behind him.

"Leo," April said, "I think we better stick together."

Leonardo paused. There was seriousness in her tone that made him alert.

"Alright," he said, "We stay together."

-:-:-:-:-:-

The woods were quiet, but not completely silent.

"Uh, April, you said 'legends'. So…there are legends about this 'Heart of Woods'?" Donnie asked, trying to keep up with April while Casey pushed him aside every time he caught up with her.

"Yes, there are plenty of them. But I hardly remember all the stories. My mother told me when I was little. We went into the woods all the time, but there was a certain part of the woods she never let me went inside. When I asked her why, she'd told me one of those legends."

"So, you don't remember any of 'em?" Casey asked. This time he got elbowed by Donnie, who then smiled viciously at his clumsy staggering.

"Actually, there was a story about an old man that I still remember quite well," she said after thinking for a moment.

"Wait a minute, nobody lives around here," Leo said, "Then who's passed these legends to the next generation?"

"I don't know," April shrugged.

"Maybe your mom just made those up to scare you," Mikey said. "My brothers makes up stories to scare me all the time."

"Maybe," April said.

"So what about this old dude?" Casey asked.

"Um, there was this old man living by the woods," April said, "He was alone. His wife had left him a long, long time ago. The old man was always lonely and angry. He couldn't forgive his wife, whom he thought had betrayed him."

"This doesn't sound like fairy tales for children," Leo frowned, "How could you remember all the details?"

"She told this story many times," April explained. "The old man went to a walk in the woods everyday. One day, he went too deep into the woods. He noticed that the trees had become silent, and the woods around him seemed like they were breathing."

"Aw!" Mikey cried suddenly. "Sorry," he quickly smiled in embarrassment, "I stepped on a branch and freaked myself out. I really don't want you to continue the story, April. But you may continue."

"…And he began to have an eerie feeling of trees trying to talk to him, but he denied the feeling, for trees weren't suppose to talk. He tried to find a way out, but soon found out that he was lost."

"Hope this won't happen to us," Donnie glanced around.

"The old man started to panic. He walked faster. However, he was going in circles."

"And then? And then? Did they attack him?" Mikey asked.

"He wore himself out," April continued. "Finally, he sat down under a tree and leant against its trunk. Soon, he fell asleep, and he had a dream.

"When he woke up, it was already dark. Luckily and strangely, he found the way home without much trouble."  
>"Thank god," Mikey panted, rubbing his plastron in relief.<p>

"_After three days, he grabbed a rifle and attacked the nearest village._"

Everyone was silent for a moment.

"Your mom's a great story teller," Casey commented dryly. "How could she tell a little kid scary stories like this?"

"I don't know," April shook her head, "Now that I think about it, she was acting strange when she told me the story."

"It's only a story," Leonardo said, "How could anyone know what happened before the man attacked the village? It's a legend. People simply made them up to make the already puzzling event more mysterious."

"Maybe you're right Leo," April heaved a sigh. "But right now we must find Raph."

—End of part one.


	2. Monologue: Run Round In Thy Head

**NEVER**

**by TJ HECTOR**

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><p><strong>-Warnings:<strong> A disturbing monologue.

**-A/N:** I won't update this regularly, because I need certain mood to write this story. And for those who are still waiting for the epilogue of Stranger Whistles, I've decided to write another chapter before the epilogue, but I'm still working on it so…thank you for your patience?

And thank you for your reviews: **InsaneDutchGirl**, **mikeysgirl228** and **Guest**.

Also thank you those who favorited or followed this so far.

**-Disclaimer:** I own absolutely nothing.

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><p><strong>II. Monologue: <strong>**Run Round In Thy Head**

_If this is gonna run round in my head_

_I might as well be dreaming_

_Run round in my head_

-_Out of the Woods_, Sinéad Lohan

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><p>Oh, the wood is fucking quiet, if you ask me.<p>

I've been living in a city my whole life, and this is my first time in the woods, surrounded by nothing but trees. _Trees._ Everywhere. _Trees._ And it feels like they are staring at you the whole time. _Staring at you. Watching you. Observing you._

Like they _know_ something.

I've been to the woods during our stay here. Sometimes alone, but most time it was with my brothers. Mostly in the daytime. If we went in here at night, it was probably because we had no other choice, like those times we had to fight crazy mutants.

If ya ask me whether I like this place, I'll tell you _hell no_. So why the fuck am I here, honestly I don't know. If I knew, I wouldn't have come in here in the first place. When I'm crazy, I do shitty stuff like running into the woods even though I knew I'm gonna regret this.

The reason why I'll regret this is that the trees are fucking weird. I tell you. They are. I ran too far, I guess. Never been to this part before. The trees were quiet like they are muted. Well I don't mean they're supposed to have voice or something, but there are supposed to be some sounds, aren't there? Like wind or bugs crawling somewhere or just _some damn sounds_. I hate bugs but I'll be glad if I see one now. As long as it stays out of my personal zone.

Hey, funny thing. I came here to blow off some steam, but it's so friggin effective. Too effective it gives you creeps. Suddenly it was like someone poured a bucket of cold water on your head and you just felt cool at once. Pretty weird if you ask me.

Why am I here? Probably because Mikey did some stupid tricks. The kid likes to act dumb but once you're off your guard he pulls some nasty pranks on you. Tell me about it. I'm his number one victim. They all treat me like I'm the bully, but who's the real bully? Not the kid with muscle, but the kid who wears this innocent puppy face, and the judge always favors the puppy eyes. You always get busted while chasing the real criminal and everybody'd think it's your fault. Okay. If it wasn't because of Mikey, it might be ol' Fearless. I thought we're getting along, you know. And yeah. We're getting along, sure, and I really want him to get better and he's of course my bro and pal and whatever. But the thing is, you can't just say something that's gonna push a button and trigger an explosion. Or maybe it's Donnie. The genius is so dumb sometimes, even dumber than Mikey. He could be one hell of an insensitive prick. Okay, I know mostly I'm the one who's insensitive, but he's not much better. And sometimes he just doesn't say stuff. Geez. I'm moody? You should see him when April says something harsh to him. He's just miserable. And he'd be moody and piss everybody off.

Hell, I don't know why I'm here. The longer I stay in this woods wandering around like some cute Red Riding Hood, the confused I am. I totally forgot what set me off in the first place. And you know what, I decided that I don't care. I'm gonna go back to the house the first chance I got.

But the woods wouldn't let me.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Sometimes you feel like killing somebody.

Sometimes I have disturbing dreams like murdering people or being trapped in the middle of a war.

The reason why I had those dreams wasn't because I watched some overly violent _anime_ or movie. Splinter never allows us to watch them anyway. The reason why I had those dreams—I think I know it very well, I just don't want to admit it or even think about it.

The reason why I dreamed of killing people is because I have the impulse in me.

The impulse to _kill_.

I like fighting. But sometimes fighting just isn't _enough_.

Sometimes your boiling vein just send this throbbing pulse through your body, and you'll feel the heat in your chest like you're gonna burst. The feeling's just too much. _Too much_ for me.

I feel like I'm gonna explode.

The feeling sneaks up on you at the least expected time. Like in a middle of a spar between you and your brother, or a quiet evening sitting in front of TV with your family, or a patrol night looking for ninjas in black, tight suit.

Or while you're asleep.

Oh and _it's there again._

_The throbbing pulse. The rushing blood. The ferocious pounding of my heart._

I curl my fingers into fists and steady them by my sides.

_Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale._

No, it's not working. My fists are shaking. Gotta hit something. Anything.

_Inhale. Exhale._

**_Oh shit I'm gonna explode._**

My breaths are getting quicker and shallower. Here it goes again.

_Why?_

Oh how the fuck would I know?

All I know is it hurt so bad.

It hurt so bad in your chest. No matter how many times you've hit the punching bag or your pillow, no matter how long you've growled at your unknown enemy's blank face, it just won't stop.

Oh the feeling. The feeling. I don't know what it is anymore. _An urge? Anger? Impatience? Anxiety?_

It just won't stop. _It just won't._

And the trees are smiling at me. They smile at me like they know.

They know that _I'm afraid._

Oh, yes. They know it _very well._

-:-:-:-:-:-

What am I gonna do when it creeps up on me again?

Oh now I remember why I ran away from them in the first place. I was afraid I was going to—

_Smash their faces with my fists?_

_Cut their throats?_

_Send my sai into their guts—?_

_Watch their painful expression?_

**_Oh stop it stop it stop it already…_**

-:-:-:-:-:-

The trees know.

They snicker.

They taunt me with their knowing smile.

Why did I say they're silent? They're goddamn noisy.

Why don't you just shut the fuck up?

_Oh my. My. My. __**My boy.**__ What are you doing out here? Don't you have a place to go to? Don't you have family to go to?  
><em>_What brought you here my young friend?  
><em>_Oh yes…we know your fear.  
><em>_What did you just say…?  
><em>_No, there is no way that we will leave you alone. You see, this is our home. And we always lend a hand to those who are in need.  
><em>_Name it, my friend. We will help you. We have helped numerous souls…_

I stop.

I lift my gaze and see how tall they are, how massive are their leaves, how strong are their trunks.

_You have a problem…yes? Please. Tell us about it.  
><em>_Tell us your problem.  
><em>_We can help you._

My feet start to tremble. Coldness runs down my spine. Now I just want to crawl into my shell and ignore those voices.

I have never been so afraid in my life.

What scares me the most is that there is another voice in my body that echoes to them. It wants desperately to say _yes_ to them. Say yes to everything, including the insane urge to dive my sai into any living being.

My feet give up and I fall on my knees.

_I'm walking in circles._

_I'll never be able to leave this place._

When did the sun go down?

When did the sky turn dark-red?

My favorite color.

Rose-red. Blood-red.

_Blood._

Oh. _Please. Someone help me._

It's gonna be a very long night.

—End of part II.

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><p><strong>-AN:** 'Out of the Woods' is a very great song by Sinéad Lohan. It's peaceful and soothing. I quoted its lyrics because I thought it'd be eerie, ha. If you think the chapter above is too dark, check out this song on youtube, it will ease your discomfort, really! BTW, a bluegrass band Nickel Creek covered the song and I prefer their version.

No need to suggest me to see a psychiatrist, someone has recently done so lol.


	3. Wrong

**NEVER**

**by TJ HECTOR**

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><p><strong>-Warning:<strong> psychological thriller.

**-A/N:** This is relatively short, but I'm content with the pace. And Michelangelo is a wonderful star for horror film!

And thank you **InsaneDutchGirl** and **Bluestar-TMNT-Warriors** for your kind review!

**-Disclaimer:** I own absolutely nothing.

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><p><strong>III. Wrong<strong>

Michelangelo shut the front door behind him. His downcast eyes induced a painful glance from April.

"Mikey," she said, "Are you alright?"

Mikey shook his head slowly. "I'm not."

"I'm sure…" April swallowed, "He'll come back."

"Why is he so angry?" Mikey said despairingly, "We didn't even do anythin' wrong!"

"Raph has some problems, Mikey," Leo said from upstairs, heaving a sigh. "Now go to bed and we'll continue searching tomorrow."

"Yeah, Mikey," Donnie said, yawning, "Maybe he'll come back tomorrow after he calms down."

"What if he's attacked by some monsters?"

"I'm sure the woods are safe, Mikey," Leo said. "We've been searching for three hours and nothing happened."

"Don't worry, Mikey," even Casey said, trying to soothe him, "Let's heat up some food, I'm starving."

Mikey smiled at his words, "Yeah I'm starvin' too."

While the rest of them went upstairs, Mikey and Casey went into the kitchen.

"What do you want to eat, Casey?" Mikey asked, "I'm thinkin' about omelets."

"Sounds good," Casey said, "Uh, you need any help?"

Mikey quickly glanced at the grin plastered on Casey's face, and then at Casey's grubby fingers.

"Maybe you can wash the dishes for me? Ya know, _wash your hands_ by the way?"

"Sure."

Mikey went over to the fridge and took out some eggs.

"Um, Casey?" he stopped before the counter.

"What is it, Mikey?"

"You think Raph's mad at me?"

"Why d'ya ask that?" Casey said nonchalantly, almost didn't catch a plate falling from the top of the pile in time.

"Um…I sorta…said somethin'…to him, before he ran into the woods," Mikey sighed.

"Oh," Casey put the survived dish into the sink. "Really? What did ya say?"

"I told him he's an unfeeling buffalo," Mikey said, "He didn't get angry right away, but…after that…you saw it too, he was so grouchy, and then after he lost the match with Leo, he ran away."

"Com'on, the guy knows he's an unfeeling buffalo," Casey laughed. "Are you alright Mikey? I've seen you say a thousand bad things to the guy and he to you. I don't think one_ truthful word_'s gonna hurt."

"Yeah, maybe," Mikey sighed again.

"What is it Mikey? Why does it suddenly bother you?" Casey asked. He had never seen Mikey like this before. The usually jovial young turtle seemed…guilty and scared.

"Okay…" Mikey hesitated, "I think _somethin's wrong_ with the woods."

"What? You've been in there before," Casey said.

"But somethin' is wrong with it tonight. It's…different," Mikey said.

"I think you're just scared of April's creepy story. That story's sick." Casey picked up a rag and started to dry the dishes.

"Yeah, maybe," Mikey shrugged, unconvinced.

"Oh c'mon, let's just hope the buffalo comes back tonight," Casey smiled.

-:-:-:-:-:-

The house was quiet.

So quiet that he jumped when he heard the window cracked with hissing wind and rain. It was raining heavily outside. Lightening flashed.

A _storm_.

He snuck out of his bed, running into the hallway. He stopped before Leonardo's room and knocked on the door.

"Leo?"

No response.

"**Leo!**"

A groan, "_…What is it…_"

"It's me, Mikey! Can I come in?"

"_Uhhh…what's the matter?_"

Mikey flung the door open and rushed inside, closing the door quickly.

Leo sat up in his bed, rubbing his eyes, "I didn't say come in."

"I can't stay out there!" Mikey said, "Somethin's _wrong_."

"What…what is it?" Leo asked, "A nightmare?"

"No!" Mikey shook his head, "We gotta find Raph, Leo!"

"…Why?"

"The woods are wrong!" Mikey ran to his bedside and grabbed the older turtle's shoulders.

"It's a nightmare," Leo muttered to himself. "And _my_ nightmare."

"Come on, Leo! I'm not jokin'!" Mikey cried, "The woods…April's right!"

"Aww Mikey, I know it's the story, right? You're scared of April's story."

"Yeah! But…the story's real!"

"No it's not. I've explained it to you."

"Leo…you gotta believe me!" Mikey cried desperately.

"If you're scared, you can sleep in my bed, Mikey," Leo said, "But please…there's nothing wrong with the woods."

Mikey glared at him and was silent for a moment.

Leo moved to aside and patted the empty mattress next to him.

Mikey climbed onto the bed.

"There's somethin' wrong with the woods, Leo," he muttered, "There's_ something wrong._"

-:-:-:-:-:-

The next morning Mikey woke up and found Leo gone. The sun shined through the window, eliminating all the evidences of the storm last night.

Everything looked peaceful.

Everything looked normal.

"…Hey…pass the butter over will ya?" Mikey heard a voice from the kitchen.

"I haven't done yet, wait for a sec!" another voice.

"…It's just a toast Leo, not a masterpiece…no need to paint it like Mona Lisa."

"You want some milk, Raph?"

Mikey froze up at the end of the staircase.

"Oh yeah, thanks, April."

"Wow, why are you so hungry…"

"Guess five hours of runnin' in the woods really paid off…"

Everyone stopped eating and looked up as Michelangelo entered the kitchen.

"Hey, Mikey," April greeted him with a warm smile. "Sorry we made breakfast without you…Leo said you had a nightmare last night so I thought maybe we should let you sleep…"

"It's alright," Mikey said, turning toward the table and tensed up as he saw—

"_Mornin' Raph,_" he said stiffly.

Raphael put his toast down in his plate, fingers curling around the handle of the bread knife. Mikey swore he saw the hand that held the knife trembled slightly as Raph heard him greeting.

And then something _flashed_ in those green eyes.

"Hey Mikey," and then the second-eldest muttered without much concern.

Mikey took a seat between Donnie and Casey, the seat that was the farthest from the red-bandana mutant.

"Are you okay, Mikey?" Donnie asked gently.

"Yeah I guesso."

"Bad dream again?"

"Yeah," Mikey breathed in deeply.

"It's always the bad dream," the youngest turtle stared down at the empty plate, and uttered the words so softly that it melted into the thick, damp air of the morning.

And everyone went on eating except for Mikey, who felt a pair of green eyes peeking at him from time to time. And he'd know the knife—the_ knife_ was quivering with the three-fingered hand's grasp again.

And he knew something's definitely _wrong_.

—End of part three.


	4. Dies Irae (Day of Wrath)

**NEVER**

**by TJ HECTOR**

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><p><strong>-Warnings:<strong> Okay. We're talking about real business now, guys. I've warned you that this thing is gonna be really dark and disturbing… So if you don't feel up to it just close the screen, okay? Deal. No flames, thanks for cooperation.

**-A/N:** I have to admit that I was a bit mentally disturbed while creating this story.

Thank you for your kind reviews, **InsaneDutchGirl** and two guest readers!

**-Disclaimer:** I own absolutely nothing but my anger.

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><p><strong>IV. Dies Irae (<strong>**_Day of Wrath_****)**

_"…__but this [anger] consists wholly in action and the impulse of grief, raging with an utterly inhuman lust for arms, blood and tortures, careless of itself provided it hurts another, rushing upon the very point of the sword, …"_

_"Some of the wisest of men have in consequence of this called anger a short madness: for it is equally devoid of self control, regardless of decorum, forgetful of kinship, obstinately engrossed in whatever it begins to do, deaf to reason and advice, excited by trifling causes, awkward at perceiving what is true and just, and very like a falling rock which breaks itself to pieces upon the very thing which it crushes."_

_-Seneca, De Ira (Of Anger), I, Book I._

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><p>The morning withered away like usual.<p>

Training on the still wet field. Lunch served on the front porch of the house. Afternoon spent in the warm living room huddling around the TV. No one mentioned the search last night.

And now it was twilight again.

It was Leonardo and Donatello's turn of preparing supper. Of course Michelangelo wanted to help, but he wasn't feeling up to the usually cheering event.

_Why?_

Maybe because the color of the sunset was a shade redder than yesterday.

Maybe because the air smelt kind of humid.

Maybe because his red-masked brother had been acting kind of strange.

-:-:-:-:-:-

"Hey Mikey," Donnie said, patting him on his carapace, "Dinner's ready."

"I'm not hungry."

"Are you okay?" asked April, who had overheard their conversation.

"Yeah, I guesso," Mikey shrugged with a smile.

"No, I don't think so," April frowned, "You've been acting weird, Mikey."

"Yeah? No! I'm…fine! Really!" Mikey tried a reassuring grin, but the expression April wore suggested his miserable failure.

"Mikey," Donnie sighed, "Tell us the truth. What did you do?"

"What?" Mikey cried, "I didn't do anythin'!"

"Really? Then tell me who steal my hammer? I needed it to repair my—"

"I didn't take it!" Mikey shouted, "What kind of people ya think I am? Donnie?"

"Okay, you didn't take it, then who did it?" Donnie said, disbelieving.

"I don't want your stupid hammer, Donnie." Mikey declared. "And I don't know who took it from your lab."

"Wait, Mikey, Donnie…" April stepped in between them. "No need to argue, okay? Mikey probably didn't—"

"Not _probably_, I _DIDN'T_." Mikey said harshly.

"—And Donnie was just upset about losing his tool. So…we'll find out where the hammer is, alright? Now let's have dinner." April said.

"Wait, I don't wanna eat," Mikey said, "You guys go ahead."

"C'mon, Mikey," Donnie said, "I'm sorry, okay?"

Mikey just shrugged and went upstairs.

"He's really acting weird," Donnie frowned.

"Yeah, I wonder why," April sighed.

"Maybe it's just because of his nightmare," Donnie said, "He always thinks they're real, nightmares."

"He's too old to be scared of nightmares," Leo said suddenly, strolling out from the kitchen, "So you guys' gonna come in or what?"

"Yeah guys, com'on, Casey Jones needs his stomach filled," Casey grinned behind Leo.

"Yeah, maybe we can leave something for Mikey in the fridge," April said.

"And where's Raph?" Leo asked.

"Dunno, never saw him after the training," Casey said.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Mikey went back to his bedroom.

And found himself alone with Raphael.

"Hey Raph," he smiled nervously without knowing why he'd done so.

"S'up," Raph said quietly. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, green eyes glittering in the darkness.

"Uh…ya need anythin'?"

"No," Raph said, "Wait…yeah."

Something in Raph's voice felt a bit off, and Mikey felt his heart starting to pound a beat faster.

"What…what is it?" his smile froze.

"Let's talk about somethin' first, okay?" Raph stood up, starting to walk toward Mikey.

"Uh, sure…"

"So you guys went search for me last night," Raph uttered. It wasn't a question.

"Yeah," Mikey answered anyway. "Yeah, we did."

"Why didn't you find me?"

"We couldn't."

"Why?"

"I dunno…The woods were so strange, Raph. We almost got lost."

"Well, I got lost," Raph said.

"Yeah…I thought about that too, but the guys wouldn't go on searching…they said it's too late…"

"_Was_ it too late?" Raph was only an inch from him, and Mikey found it hard to take his eyes off those glowing green ones.

"N-no, I don't think so…I think they just didn't want to be in the woods anymore…"

"_Was it too late?_" Raphael asked again.

"No," Mikey swallowed.

"Then why did you give up?" the elder turtle rasped, "_Why?_"

"_I-I don't know!_ They wouldn't listen to me!" Mikey cried, trembling. He started to step back until he found himself trapped in a corner of the room.

"Do you have any idea..." Raph said from deep in his throat, "Just any idea…what it is like in the woods?"

"Y-you m-mean the H-heart of th-the Woods?"

"I don't know what it is called," Raph said, "I'm just askin', _do you have any idea?_"

"N-no."

"Well I can tell you," Raph said, "I can tell you what it's like and what I'm gonna do."

Mikey found himself unable to move, nor answer. He found that he didn't want to know what Raph intended to say.

"_I wanna break through,_" said the green eyes. "_And you are gonna be __**dazed**__ by the power of my will, which is beyond your comprehension…_"

"R-raph," Mikey quivered, "What are you talkin' about?"

"I'm talkin' about _pain_, Mikey," the turtle in front of him, who was supposed to be his brother, said softly. "'Cause you have _no idea_ what it is like… It's very _angry_…it is…"

Mikey's finger reached his belt for his nunchuks, but Raph was faster than him. Before he could get his weapon out of his belt, Raph seized his wrists.

Mikey gave a little cry of pain.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Rah chuckled. "Now we're talkin'. But this pain is too trivial."

"Raph, _please_," Mikey said, feeling cold sweat on the back of his neck, "What are you doin'?"

"I'm tellin' ya," Raph's eyes narrowed into two slits, flaring green radiating through them. "I wanna show you the pain. I wanna show you _all_ the pain. 'Cause you have no idea."

"Raph, I'm sorry and I'm sure the guys all are…we just couldn't find you in the woods…" Mikey uttered.

"What do you know about anger, huh? _What do you know about it?_"

"I-I don't know," Mikey whimpered lowly, "I-I have n-no idea." Raph's grip on his wrists tightened. "_R-Raph, it hurts. Really…_"

"YOU KNOW NOTHIN' ABOUT IT."

"Y-you're right, Raph…"

"And you all _pretend_ like you know. Like you know how to deal with it."

Mikey evaded the piercing gaze.

"It's okay. I'll let you know the pain. I'll make you beg me to stop. And I won't listen to you. I'm gonna sit back and enjoy the show."

His brother wouldn't say something so horrible like this.

"'Cause I wanna slice somethin' open, to cut, to stab, and to thrust, Mikey."

And to hear his own name uttered from the snickering monster was a thing he couldn't bear.

"Ya hear me, Mikey?"

"Y-yeah," Mikey said.

Madness.

It was pure madness.

"Do you know who took the hammer from Donnie's lab?"

"I-I don't know. It w-wasn't me."

"C'mon, Mikey, guess. You're better than this."

_Madness._

"I-is it you?"

Grin.

"You're right, pal."

Mikey whimpered again.

"All these years I've been waitin'. All these years I put up with your stupid, meaningless hypocrisy. Talkin' about honor, talkin' about love, talkin' about compassion. Talkin' about strength. Talkin' about morals. _What's the meaning of everything? __**What's the meaning of it if you couldn't understand PAIN?**_"

"Raph, please…"

"_TELL ME!_" Raph roared in a low tone so the people downstairs wouldn't hear. "**_TELL ME!_**"

"…I-I'm sure Master Splinter would know…"

"_HE'S GONE._"

"B-but he woulda understa—"

"Oh, oh, you're so naïve," Raph smirked, "You wanna tell me about _hurt,_ **_about pain?_**"

"I-is it painful," Mikey tried, "Being angry…"

"Oh **YES**," Raph growled, "Oh yes it hurts _very bad_. Very, _very bad_."

_Madness._

"_You're hurt and you can't help it_," Raph croaked, "_You have nowhere else to go. You retreat to the only place you can hide, which is deep inside your mind. And You're locked. Like a beast pounding on the bars…_"

_This isn't his brother._

"But I'm gonna break through the bars, Mikey."

_This is a demon._

"I'm gonna show you how it feels like."

_The demon is let loose. In the Heart of the Woods._

"_I'm gonna make you taste the pain. I'm gonna make you feel what it's like to be put inside a cage. To be **enraged**._"

**_Ahhhhhhhh—_**

Raph broke his wrist.

**_Raph broke his wrist…_**

"Now, how does it feel? Hmm?" Raph sneered.

Mikey fell to the ground. _Gotta warn the others…gotta…_

_This isn't their brother._

And at that very moment, Mikey realized something horrible. Something he simply couldn't bear to see. The last flash in the demon's eyes…

**_It IS Raphael._**

Raph grinned and raised the hammer.

-End of part four.


	5. Screaming-Falling-Monologue

**NEVER**

**by TJ HECTOR**

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><p><strong>-AN: **Prose-poem-like stuff. (Ah and I love prose poem than poem!)

Thank you for your reviews, **BubblyShell22, InsaneDutchGirl, starscream36, Raphs No.1 Girl, Snow Brightness, and Blogger9999999.**

And thank you for those who followed this story. I really didn't expect that so many people would read this-I thought it's too dark and sick for people to enjoy it, haha.

And to **Blogger9999999**: No, it will soon be the others' turn to suffer...Mikey's the first because he's the first to notice that something is wrong, and (though I hardly think so), in some way (only), he's the most vulnerable.

And there will be no sanity until we reach the end of this journey lol.

**-Disclaimer:** I own absolutely nothing but my crappy sense of pace and rhythm.

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><p><strong>V. ScreamingFalling/Monologue: Memories Gone**

Scream. Scream. Scream.

And a lot of pain.

Pleasures came with pain, with the forceful streams of emotion. And he felt himself falling down into a deep void, eyes blinded by the rapid flapping wings of his demonic possession. He just kept falling and falling.

And it was as though the pain would never stop.

He heard scream. Again.

And he reached out, feeling the tip of his finger touching something wet and hot. _(Wasn't he falling? Wasn't he drowning? Wasn't the pain too much for him to bear?)_

He heard a whimper. And a loud thump. And—

Blood.

Blood.

_(Madness.)_

_(Madness surging over him like flood.)_

_("You are not my brother…" a small voice said.)_

_You're wrong, kid. I __**am**__ your brother._

He just kept falling.

Falling.

Falling like a burned out star.

* * *

><p><strong><em>-Within the woods, hours ago-<em>**

_[Monologue]_

_I was too tired to fight back._

_So I let them do it._

_The trees like it anyway. They sang songs to me. Old tunes. I wouldn't say that sounded good 'cause truth be told they just gave me creeps._

_And then they invited me to sit down._

_(Sit down, my young friend. I believe that you must have many questions?_

_Tell us. We'll find a way to help you._

_We are very old, my friend. We know things._

_We know many things.)_

_They smile. The trees smile._

_I don't know if I should tell them. But they seem to read my thoughts._

_-O-_

_I remember many things from the past._

_I'm starting to drift off. I know it's bad because I'm in the woods, and it's cold. I know the trees are dangerous. But I can't help it; suddenly I feel so tired._

_I just want to sleep._

_That's when memory comes to me. Scenes flow past my inner eyes, and I watch them with curiosity. I see my brothers. My father. Our childhood. The lair._

_And I notice that things used to be so simple._

_Things used to be so simple. Feelings used to run around in my head unnoticed. Quarrels used to be solved by a few words and a hearty handshake. Daydream used to console my restless mind._

_And it makes me laugh in a miserable way. I feel so stupid. So so so so fucking stupid. What is anger actually? What is hatred? What is pain?_

_They are nothing but memories._

_—__Memories that only live in the form of faint shades and fading colors, dwelling with lingering pain._

_Memories I'm able to disregard, to dispose of._

_(Give them to us._

_We'll keep them. For you._

_We can help you. We can get you out of the prison of pain._

_Come on, child._

_Come! My friend!)_

_-O-_

_Too painful to protest._

_Too painful to hold back._

_Slowly and slowly, I let go._

_I let my recollections slip out of my fingers like water too hot. I'm glad they are taken away. I'll give them my bliss if possible._

_And they're thrilled to run free, too._

_(Oooooh, deeelicious…_

_Delicious memories._

_Delicious pain.)_

_-O-_

_The woods spin around above me as I lie on the earth, gazing up._

_Starlit sky and lonely clouds. The world is quiet about me. My pulse has slowed down and my racing heartbeat now ceased to knock furiously against my chest._

_Memories. Gone._

_I smile._

* * *

><p><em>Falling.<em>

_Did it ever stop?_

_Yes._

The room was silent. The screaming had stopped.

Quiet breathing. And the sound of dripping liquid.

He stared down at the small lump on the floor.

Something looked like a person.

A shape of human with something like a shell on its back.

A turtle.

A brother.

_His_ brother.

Michelangelo. Lying still on the floor.

Raphael grinned.

—End of part five.

* * *

><p><strong>-AN:**

So this isn't really a full-length chapter. But I think it's completed so I want to put it up first, and then I shall move on to the actual plot.

This is more like a flashback when Raph was about to attack Mikey.

_(Well the real reason of why it's so short is probably because I'm lacking energies lol.)_

I know you're probably still worried about Mikey's safety, so I'm sorry about leaving the cliffhanger unresolved here! We'll continue again when I got my sweeeeeet _(sarcasm, obviously)_ downright dark mood—which happens a lot recently so no worries :P _(I'm worried for myself though haha)_

And I like the idea that trees have lives and thoughts. Am I the only person that loves Treebeard in Lord of the Rings? _(Ha, are you seriously comparing Treebeard to these evil trees in your horrifying story?)_


	6. Unreality

**NEVER**

**by TJ HECTOR**

* * *

><p><strong>-Warning:<strong>

**This chapter is very disquieting. Graphic? Not exactly. But violent. Yes. Cruel and violent. Those who have problem keeping their cool, better calm down first and stop right away if you feel uncomfortable. Thanks for your cooperation. BTW, anyone thinks this should be rated M? I might change the rating-please tell me, thanks.**

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you, BubblyShell22 and Guest for your reviews :)<strong>

**-A/N: **Wow, I'm getting crazier and crazier! HAPPY NEW YEAR :D!

And sorry for the delay of the update on all my stories. I have been…yeah, kinda troubled. Always like that…It's just worsened lately. Poor me. Stupid me more likely lol. And I spent two days on the mountain in heavy rainfall shooting a short film…kept telling a couple of poor dudes to fall into the mud lol. Anyway, I finally got time to breath and write something…

**-Disclaimer:** I own nothing but tons of New Year bliss, which I give you with all my heart, guys! (Okay, doesn't seem appropriate here would you quit doing that Hector my dear lol)

* * *

><p><strong>VI. Unreality<strong>

His brother, lying in a pool of dark crimson that smelt like rust and no longer breathing, stared at him with wide, shocked eyes that looked like they were trying to warn them something.

His brother, deprived of the typical smile and warmness, stared at him as if he was blaming them for letting this happen.

His brother, his very _little brother_, who had been through an almost perverted ordeal, now lay cold and lifeless because none of them had noticed that something was _off_.

Leonardo supported his weight on the nearest wall, but drew back immediately in horror—there were blood on the wall which he hadn't not seen due to the dim light that none of the gang wanted to turn on right now.

"_He's not breathing,_" Donnie said in a short gasp.

"…I know," Leo uttered.

April drew herself near to Casey and the two humans leant on each other before the grotesque scene.

"Who did this?" someone asked. Leonardo turned around to find out who said that—the voice had sounded strange and unfamiliar to his ears because they were filled with the wild, drumming pump of his heartbeat.

Donatello's pallid face. "Leo, who…would possibly do this?"

Leonardo gazed back, biting his lower lip, his shoulder trembling.

"…How…_'d I know?_" his voice came out raw and exotic.

"Leo, man, where's Raph?" Casey said suddenly.

Their voices weren't right. The sounds were strange. The pumping was louder, and it kept getting _louder_ and **_louder_**. Leo blinked for several times to clear off the gray clouds that were hanging before his vision.

"Are you alright?" Donnie asked.

Leonardo felt a hand on his elbow.

"_…__I…_" was the only word he could utter, and then the next two words. "_It's Raph._"

The hand on his elbow disappeared. The room fell heavily back to silence. The smell of cotton was too much. Too intense and heavy…too _heavy_. _Too much_. Too much for them to handle…

"Leo?"

"What do ya mean?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"Leo?"

He staggered back and landing on his shell, falling into the blood, next to Mikey.

"_Leo!_"

The room was spinning, and his eyes couldn't focus anymore. He covered his face with two bloody hands…and felt the blood on his face. Too much.

His brother was killed.

_By another brother._ Possibly.

By a hammer. A _hammer…_

Beating to death.

Leo put down his hands, turned to a side and began to hurl.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Raphael sat on a stone by the creek and washed the hammer, humming an unknown tune.

The tune sounded old. Ancient, almost.

He sang.

_One on his arm, and one on his head._

_His skull was cracked. Cracked._

_Wrists, shattered._

_Bones, crushed._

_Troat, cut open._

_Ribs, crashed._

_One on his knees…_

_And one on his shell._

_Sweet hammer tasted sweet blood. Sweet and fleeting, time. Sweet as like cranberries. And no. It's sour._

_Never mind._

_One between his eyes…Oh that must have hurt?_

_Ha ha, ha ha. Ha ha ha._

He quickly learned to sing in their way. A sort of grunting sound, but very soft. Like a chuckle, a smirk. The way trees sang.

_Ha ha, ha ha ha._

_One on his togue._

_And one on his leg._

_One in his gut. One deep, deep, deep down his throat._

_Ha. Ha. Ha. A lotta blood._

-O-

_"__It hurts, r-really…" Mikey said._

_"__Oh, yeah?" Raph smirked. "Do you like it?"_

_"__Please Raph! Please! …I'm sorry we didn't find you…Really. But please…OHHHHH…Raph! Pl…RAAAPH!"_

_Seeing his little brother crawling in that small corner curling into a ball sent a pleasure down his heart. Blood on his hammer. Hmmm. Good._

_No one heard Mikey cry. Interesting…_

**_Strange._**

_But interesting nonetheless!_

_Now Mikey was quiet. Raph thought that maybe he had passed out, but Mikey was still blinking. The pain was too much for him._

_"__Mikey, ya still there?" he singsonged._

_The little brother whimpered, and Raph rejected the urge of wanting to comfort that sound and bringing his brother to safety. Instead, he just wanted to hurt him._

_And hurt him very bad._

_"__Why…?" Mikey was asking._

_"__Because I need this," Raph grinned. "My revenge. My salvation. The world abandoned me, and I shall have it back."_

_"__You…you're not t-talking like yourself," Mikey said, his broken limbs twitching and his eyelids trembling. "You're n-not my b-brother…"_

_"__I AM your brother, Mikey, but I'm also __**something more.**__"_

_The blue eyes were questioning._

_"__I'm stronger. More powerful, and determined…"_

_"__You're already s-strong, Raph," Mikey choked, "W-why would you w-wanna be somethin' m-more?"_

_"__Because…because you FUCKING ABANDONED ME! AND YOU LEFT ME WITH MY PAIN AND THE TREES!" he shouted. __**Strange.**__ No one heard him? No one heard him. It was a dream. It must be…_

_It felt like one._

_"__Raph, please…Raaaph…"_

_Raph raised his hammer again._

_"__RAAAAAAAPHAAAAAAHHH!"_

_Again._

_"__AAAAAH!"_

_And again._

_"__AAH…RAAAAAPH!"_

_And it was so silent._

-O-

The hammer was clean again, and he smiled at it. The weapon was so fine, even better than his sai. Using a hammer was satisfying. He couldn't wait to see how it would work on his other brothers. _Wait, what about the humans?_

_Oh, as many as possible, my young friend._

_Sure thing_, Raph muttered to himself with a drunken smirk.

After the weapon was cleaned, he lay down by the river and tried to take a nap. He found out that he slept better now. Of course, now he was guilt-free, carefree and happy with everything.

He got new friends and new family. Not alone.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Donatello drew the bedsheets up to cover Michelangelo completely. He tried to perform it as gentle as possible even though he knew the little one was already not there.

Not there.

Not anymore.

No. Mikey was gone. And Donatello didn't believe in spirit and eternal existence.

He turned to leave and found no tears.

-O-

April was in the kitchen when he entered.

"Want a cup of coffee Donnie?" she asked without a smile.

"Yeah," the turtle muttered in reply, sitting down by the table.

"Where're Leo and Casey?" April asked.

"I believe Leo is still out there trying to find Raph. Maybe Casey's gone with him."

"Yeah," April said with a vacant look.

"H-how…" Donnie said with a jerk, suddenly. "How can this be possible? _H-How can this even happen?_ April! Tell me something…_tell me_, this could be a…a case of…what? I don't know…Ra—he lost his mind, April! _He's lost it completely! _B-but why? _How?_ I don't get it, I d—"

"Shhhhhh, please," April came up to him with a sob. "Please, Donnie. Don't say anything."

"**_But I can't live with it!_**" he glared at the empty space before his eyes and yelled.

"No one is able to live with that, Donnie," April said miserably.

"This is not true…this isn't real, April."

"Yeah, you're right. This is not true. This is so not true," tears started flow down freely from April's eyes, and she showed no attempt to neither hide them nor wipe them off. "This is not real, Donnie. This is not."

Donatello casted a gaze at his palm and his eyes were suddenly wide open.

"April," Donnie said. There was something in his voice that forced April to look up and meet those frightened dark-red eyes.

April O'Neil questioned him with her equally scared, wide eyes.

"_I think I know something,_" Donatello said.

-:-:-:-:-:-

_They said you gotta be true._

_And the laughing shadows continued to laugh. Their shrieking laughter echoed in the void, tearing his eardrums._

_He found himself bumping into bodies. Bodies everywhere. Blood. And naked women danced around behind a thin mist. Through the haze he saw the horizon and—_

_He was completely alone._

_Now he realized why there were deaths everywhere. These people were murdered—by his hands. He looked down at his hands and found them covered in blood that was almost as black as sable._

_How could he deny the evidence? How could he get away from his crime?_

_There was nowhere else to go._

_And he started to get this feeling of his stomach clenching tight as though he was stabbed._

_He wanted to hide and rest, but he saw no chance of that…_

-O-

Raphael woke up on the riverbank. The soft murmur of water suggested him his disquieting dreams.

_Gotta ease the pain._

He stood up slowly. It wasn't too late to go on and complete his task.

_Their_ task.

_To kill._

—End of part six.

* * *

><p><strong>-AN:** Are you screaming "Nooooooooooo!" right now? lol. Grab a hot cup of chocolate and calm down okay? Listen to soft music and watch some TV.

If you can't go on because of what I did with Mikey, (if you *REALLY* CAN'T), PM me and I'll give you reason why I did this, and maybe you can continue to read. And yes, I have a reason and I believe you'll understand.

Ok. I've got plans for the ending of this story so hopefully the next update will be soon. And the worst, heaviest chapter is over (unless you want more :D just kidding). Let't start climbing out of the valley (metaphorically, both in this story and in reality).


	7. Reality

**NEVER**

**by TJ HECTOR**

* * *

><p><strong>-Warning: <strong>the first chapter that I have nothing particular to warn about! Not even language!

**-A/N: **Oh my god. I'm so sorry about the sudden, unexpected hiatus. I've got so much stuff going on both in the real world and in my goddam inner playground (whatever that is). Anyway, I'll never abandon this little thing without saying that I'm abandoning it beforehand. I want to thank **InsaneDutchGirl** especially, who has been prodding me to go on. _Thank you *frowns and smirks* (you know, huh?)_

Also, I'd like to thank all the reviewers: **LiL PriNCeSs Me, BubblyShell22, Ninja-ForceUser, InsaneDutchGirl, yukio87 and mikeysgirl228**.

Sorry again for not updating for so long! I'm on vacation now, so hopefully I'll be able to get the next one out sooner.

**-Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

* * *

><p><strong>VII. Reality<strong>

[In the woods]

"Seriously, Leo," Casey said as he trudged behind the blue-masked turtle nervously, the flashlight in his hand dangling with his anxious gesture. "Ya don't think it's—"

"Are you suggesting that there have been other people in the house, besides us?" Leo said without looking at the human.

"No," said human replied, "but man…"

"It's the only possibility," Leo said.

"But, c'mon, he's your broth—"

"**_Don't say that word in front of me!_**" Leo stopped and turned to yell at Casey.

Casey fell back a few steps, eyes wide with sadness and fear.

"Alright," he mumbled quietly. And the two of them went on deeper into the woods as the night around them fell darker.

-O-

They had no clue. There were no signs of recent footfalls on the path they often took when they went into the woods. There had been a storm last night, so the earth was muddy and moist with rain. However, Raph must have thought about that it would leave traces; he obviously avoided the waterlogged dirt that would leave any traces behind.

Suddenly Casey gasped.

"Look at that Leo!" he whispered.

"What?" Leo's eyes followed Casey's flashlight. All he could see was the small creek that ran through the woods, but there was some sort of track leading from the path to the stream.

The thin trail was even clearer when they came near.

"It's blood," Leo muttered.

"The killer must've been here," Casey said, crouching down next to the small pool of dry blood. "Ya think he's wounded?"

"I hope so," Leo said. "If he were, our chance of finding him would be greater."

"I hope he wouldn't find Raph first," Casey mumbled, "what if he hurt Raph too?"

"Casey, he**_ IS_** Raph—"

"Did you even_ hear yourself?_" Casey cried. "Dude, this is_ your own brother _we're talkin' about!"

Leo glared at his human company.

"Who would want to kill one of us?" Leo asked with fury.

Casey almost laughed incredulously.

"And you think Raph had any reason to do that?" he shouted with disbelief.

Leo was speechless, but his gaze clung stubbornly to Casey's.

"Leo, it's perfectly reasonable that Raph was hurt by the killer—that would be the reason why he wasn't in the house when Mikey was hurt. Because the killer went to Raph first then to Mikey!" Casey yelled.

All of a sudden there was a noise behind them that silenced Casey.

"What was that?" Casey whispered.

Leo turned toward the noise.

"_Thank you so much, Case,_" a voice said.

"It's Raph," Leo hissed, "Casey, be careful."

"Raph!" Casey cried, "Where're you man? We are so _wo_—"

His voice was cut off by a sharp whistle of wind. The next second Casey was on his back, holding up his arms in protection. There was a shuriken on his right shoulder.

"Darn it," Leo cursed, unsheathing his swords. "Watch out Casey!"

Casey pulled out one of his hockey stick, looking around in alert.

"Ya think that was…Raph?" he asked with a slight quiver in his voice.

"You saw the evidence," Leo answered coldly.

-:-:-:-:-:-

[In the house]

"What were you trying to say, Donnie?" April asked, wiping off some of the tears with her palm. "What do you mean by _you know something_?"

Donatello was looking scared. His eyes were round with terror.

"Did you hear anything, April?" he asked, "when Mikey was attacked?"

"N-No," April said, "we were having dinner, right?"

"But the house is old, April," Donnie said, "and if you looked at the crime scene..." he halted to take a deep breath, then went on. "If you looked at it, it is quite obvious that there had been a fight before…_Mikey was down_."

"So…?"

"So it was impossible that we hadn't heard any struggling sound at all," Donnie looked down at his knees, and met April's gaze again. "Mikey would have…cried for help, April."

"What do you mean, Donnie," April asked, "I don't get it."

"Neither do I," Donnie said, "but you said something…_we_ said something. And it got me thinking…"

"What is it?"

Donnie inhaled deeply, blinking a few times. And then, finally, "_This isn't real_, April," he said. "And you should know. You should have been the first of us to notice."

April frowned.

"This whole place, this whole thing…these aren't real," Donnie said. "Tell me about the _Heart of the Woods_ again, April. Remember your mom? How she used to tell you those stories?"

"She…told me about it mostly when we were near that part of the woods," April said, still frowning, "and she always had this strange look on her, like…like…"

She trailed off.

"Do you remember anything that happened after you told us the story about the old man?" Donnie asked.

April thought hard for a moment.

"No," she said reluctantly.

"Right," Donnie nodded, "neither do I. I only remember…coming back to the house."

"And Mikey acting weird ever since then," April said. "But how could this be? It's impossible."

"It is," Donnie said, "but if you think about it, dreams are like this. Often you go from a place to another without having any memories."

"Now that I think of it…" she continued, "Mikey's probably the one that was least affected by the…"

Donatello finished it for her.

"April, our minds have been manipulated," he said.

April looked at the most scientific turtle before her. It sounded crazy, ridiculous, but it fitted just right in her mind. Suddenly the room was darker, and she felt her eyes were able to see more clearly.

"Oh my god," she whispered.

-:-:-:-:-:-

[In the woods]

"Where is he?" Casey asked; the flashlight was shaking hard in his trembling hand.

"It's getting too dark," Leo muttered, "we have to rely on our senses."

"HEY RAPH!" Casey suddenly called. "GET THE HELL OVER HERE MAN!"

"What are you doing!" Leo clutched his arm tightly, "He'll find us!"

"Hey, is he your brother or not?" Casey glared back. "We gotta know what's goin' on! You think fighting him would help?"

"He just shoot a shuriken at you," Leo glowered at him. "He is dangerous, Casey."

"Well he's _not an animal_, he can talk, Leo."

"He's _insane_."

And then, without warning, the light went off.

"Casey," Leo called, alarmed.

But there was no reply.

"Casey!" he called again.

-O-

Casey Jones felt himself being dragged along the muddy path in the woods.

He must have blacked out—a blunt pain in the back of his head suggested him where he took the blow.

"Uh, Leo?" he asked hesitantly. "Man, 's that you?

The person—_whoever-that-was_—didn't say anything in response. And Casey decided that it wasn't Leo.

He felt the pressure on his ankle loosened a bit. And, presently, he was completely released.

"Hello?" he asked.

Silence. The person who had been dragging him was gone.

Casey got to his feet; his head spun with blood rush.

Why did the guy drop him here? He glanced around, and found himself out of the woods. He looked back inside where he had come from, the darkness in the depth of the bushes were profound and horrid.

Leo was still in there, with the strange person who just left him here.

_Could that be Raph?_ Casey thought, looking down at his shoulder—the shuriken was still there, he had thought about pulling it out, but he remembered someone saying something about losing blood faster or something like that.

Maybe he better tell the others about what just happened.

Having made the decision, he started to walk toward the house.

-:-:-:-:-:-

[In the house]

"Casey!" April exclaimed in surprise, and then her gaze fell upon his dirty face and clothes. "What happened? Where's Leo?"

"April, there's some nutjob in the woods who just attacked us," Casey said, "he knocked me out and then dropped me out of the woods. Leo's still in there, we gotta help him. I think it is the same person who…harmed Mikey."

April wiped some mud off his face; the boy blushed slightly.

"Casey," she said slowly, "I think the person _is _Raph."

"No, it can't be," Casey took a step forward, "Raph would never do somethin' like that…"

"_No, he wouldn't,_" another voice said behind April, and the two humans looked toward the speaker. It was Donnie.

"He wouldn't do that, not in reality," Donnie said darkly. "But Casey, this isn't real. What we've been going through isn't real."

Casey stared at him.

"What did you just say?" he frowned.

"Casey," April said, looking at him into the eyes. "We have never left the woods."

Casey opened his mouth, and then closed it.

"B-but why? How did you know?" he asked.

"Do you remember _Heart of the Woods_, Casey?" Donnie posed the question grimly.

Casey thought for a few seconds.

"So we're like…trapped? Together?" he asked. "But this feels so real!"

"Yeah, it is," Donnie nodded. "It's like a prolonged nightmare."

"How are we gonna wake up?" April glanced at Donnie. "And what about Raph?"

"I have no idea," Donnie said, "but…"

"Guys," Casey interrupted, "if what you just said is right, and the killer in the woods is Raph, then we better find Leo. And we better tell him about this."

They looked at each other.

"Let's go," Donnie muttered, then hurried to the door.

—End of part seven.

* * *

><p><strong>-AN:** Oh dear, I hope that didn't come out like forced. It wasn't, so... Well, if it is, let's see what I can do to fix it.


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